I'm buying a microphone. I need one that will give me as good sound quality when I record my voice as I would get by recording a voice memo with an iPhone. Any recommendations?
I need a microphone
- Thread starter Queen Michael
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The youtube channel starter kit usually includes a Blue Snowball, or its big brother, the Blue Yeti.
Both quality products (with the Yeti being marginally better), and quite affordable.
Both quality products (with the Yeti being marginally better), and quite affordable.
I'm not familiar with the sound quality of the recordings you can take with an iPhone, but I would say for voice you need a condenser mic like the aforementioned Blue Snowball or Blue Yeti. Condenser mics are really sensitive and capture almost any sound in great detail.
If you just want it for convenience, I believe a lot of these types of microphones come with USB connectivity and possibly also come with desktop stands. Most other condenser mics use an XLR connection, which will require an audio interface to connect to your PC. All condenser mics will also need power to produce a strong enough signal to record. Most audio interfaces can supply power through the cable, but some mics also have room for batteries.(Power is supplied via USB for such models, so you won't have to worry about batteries).
I use the Audio Technica AT2035 for vocal recording, through an Alesis io4 interface and/or Line6 PodHD 500X (I have to use the io4 to power the mic, and the Pod is for effects like compression and reverb).
The cheapest version of this mic is the AT2020, which clocks in about £75 (probably about $100?). I think Audio Technica sells USB versions too, so you might want to look in to that.
If you are going to be close to your mic, you might want to consider a pop shield. They're quite cheap and they let you get super close for some really 'dry' recording. Getting too close increases the bass quite a lot, so a pop shield can also be used as a gauge to keep your mouth at a minimum distance.
I hope this helps; there are hundreds of potential microphone models out there, and quite a few are affordable for someone who isn't a wealthy audiophile or studio engineer!
If you just want it for convenience, I believe a lot of these types of microphones come with USB connectivity and possibly also come with desktop stands. Most other condenser mics use an XLR connection, which will require an audio interface to connect to your PC. All condenser mics will also need power to produce a strong enough signal to record. Most audio interfaces can supply power through the cable, but some mics also have room for batteries.(Power is supplied via USB for such models, so you won't have to worry about batteries).
I use the Audio Technica AT2035 for vocal recording, through an Alesis io4 interface and/or Line6 PodHD 500X (I have to use the io4 to power the mic, and the Pod is for effects like compression and reverb).
The cheapest version of this mic is the AT2020, which clocks in about £75 (probably about $100?). I think Audio Technica sells USB versions too, so you might want to look in to that.
If you are going to be close to your mic, you might want to consider a pop shield. They're quite cheap and they let you get super close for some really 'dry' recording. Getting too close increases the bass quite a lot, so a pop shield can also be used as a gauge to keep your mouth at a minimum distance.
I hope this helps; there are hundreds of potential microphone models out there, and quite a few are affordable for someone who isn't a wealthy audiophile or studio engineer!
Well the sound quality on an iPhone mic is actually awful, so I don't think you could get a standalone mic which is worse.
I agree that the Blue Snowball and Yeti are good starter mics. There are better, but they also cost a lot more and need audio interfaces/mixers etc.
I agree that the Blue Snowball and Yeti are good starter mics. There are better, but they also cost a lot more and need audio interfaces/mixers etc.